The day our daughter had a high fever, Matt was at a parent-teacher meeting for his first love’s son.

I called him, only for her to pick up.

Through sobs, she apologized, but Matt quickly grabbed the phone, his tone impatient.

"She’s a single mom with a kid. What’s wrong with me looking out for them?"

So, I turned to my daughter, who was quietly receiving her IV, and asked softly, "How about it, sweetheart? From now on, it’s just you and me."

My daughter lifted her face, still flushed from the fever, and softly said, "Okay."

"Good girl."

I kissed her cheek, then picked up my phone to call her teacher about transferring schools.

The teacher told me they would need at least a month to process the transfer.

That was fine, though.

If I could endure eight years of a marriage that felt like widowhood, I could wait one more month.

Rosie Armstrong's round eyes kept darting toward the hospital room door. She didn’t say anything, but I knew she was waiting for her dad, Matt Armstrong.

I called Matt again, hoping that he would at least say goodnight to Rosie.

The phone rang for a long time before he finally answered. His voice was cold and filled with irritation.

"Belle, I was at a parent-teacher meeting with Ben. Do you really need to check up on me every second?

"And now you're making up that Rosie is sick? Do you enjoy jinxing your own daughter? How cruel can you be?"

The background noise on his end was lively. Through the noise, I could tell he was at Rosie's favorite family-friendly restaurant.

Matt had always said he was too busy with work, yet now he had time to attend a meeting for Ben and take him and Erica Houston out for dinner.

Suddenly, I heard a clear voice say, “Daddy, why aren’t you eating?"

My hands trembled, and my phone nearly slipped from my grasp.

At that moment, Matt hung up.

It had already been another week since he last came home.

In the past, I would have cried and looked for him, asking if he was staying at Erica’s house again. Now? I didn’t even feel the urge to call him.

Then, just as unexpectedly, Matt returned home.

The moment he walked through the door, he began questioning me.

"Did you stop making Ben’s lunches for the past week?

"You shouldn’t take out your anger on the kids, no matter what. And since Erica doesn’t know how to cook, you’re the only one who can do it."

I lowered my gaze and said nothing.

Matt's expression softened slightly. He reached out and gently squeezed my hand.

"You’ve always wanted to take wedding photos, right? If you behave…"

It was ridiculous that I had been with Matt for eight years, and we had no wedding photos or even a marriage license.

The night before we were supposed to get married, Erica’s husband passed away, leaving behind their one-year-old son.

She had a breakdown and was hospitalized. Matt spent all his time taking care of her, leaving no room for anything or anyone else.

Our marriage was put on hold indefinitely.

Now, he thought he could tempt me with the promise of wedding photos, as if that would make me submit. However, I simply looked at him calmly, my expression unchanged.

Before the tension could break, Rosie’s teacher called me.

Rosie had gotten into a fight at school.

I grabbed my bag and rushed out.

Matt, just as alarmed, followed me. He pulled up in front of me. Without hesitation, I got into the passenger seat.

Then, I noticed something that left me stunned.

There was a sticker on the passenger seat labeled with a photo of Erica and the words, "Sweetheart’s Reserved Seat."

Matt fastened his seatbelt.

When he saw what I was staring at, his expression shifted. Panic flickered in his eyes as he quickly tore off the sticker and stuffed it into his pocket.

Afraid I’d cry and fuss like I used to, he explained, "Erica stuck it there for fun, it’s not—"

"Just drive. Rosie is waiting for us," I cut him off, my voice calm.

Matt stared at my face for a while before falling silent.

…

I replayed the moment in my mind of Matt carefully tucking the sticker into his pocket.

The sight only made me feel that the past eight years had been a complete waste.

When we arrived at the school office, a little boy was crying at the top of his lungs. Rosie stood with her shoulders shaking, her loose hair covering her face as silent tears fell.

I recognized the boy immediately. It was Ben Ortega, Erica’s son.

Matt, with his long legs, stepped inside before I could. He positioned himself in front of me, blocking my view completely.

Rosie’s eyes lit up when she saw Matt.

She was about to run into his arms when Ben got there first, throwing himself into Matt’s embrace.

Matt hesitated before effortlessly picking Ben up to comfort him.

I clenched my fists in anger but quickly pulled my precious Rosie into my arms.

Ben clung to Matt’s neck and complained, "Rosie tried to take my cookie! That’s why I hit her."

"You’re lying! You stole mine!"

The two of them were about to start arguing again.

Matt rubbed his temples and asked the teacher, "Is there surveillance footage?"

"Yes, yes. We just fixed the cameras a few days ago."

As the teacher searched for the footage, Ben anxiously glanced around.

Then, Erica strode into the room. Without saying a word, she smacked Ben while scolding him.

"How dare you bully a girl? Mommy is a girl, too. Does that mean I should be bullied?

"Why can’t you learn to put yourself in someone else’s shoes?"

Erica trembled as tears slid down her cheeks. She looked heartbreakingly beautiful as she cried.

Matt pulled both of them into his arms.

"I said I’ll always protect you. No one can hurt you."

I muttered an apology to the teacher before shielding Rosie’s eyes and carrying her outside.

The warmth of her tears seeped into my palm as she sobbed, hiccuping between words, "Mom… Mommy, I hate… Daddy."

"Mm. Me too."

…

For once, Matt came home right after work, carrying a bowl of seafood boil.

"I bought this especially for you. Eat up." With that, he headed to the bathroom to shower.

The scent of the food lured Rosie in. I had just opened the plastic lid when Matt’s phone, left on the table, chimed with a message.

It was from Erica.

[Matt, thanks for treating us to that amazing seafood feast today.

[By the way, did you take home the leftover seafood boil?]

So Erica and Ben got a lavish seafood dinner, while Rosie and I were left with their scraps.

A wave of humiliation crashed over me.

Without hesitation, I dumped the seafood into the trash.

Matt walked out of the bathroom just in time to see it.

"What did I do this time?"

I handed him his phone. He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Rosie hit Ben earlier. I was just making it up to them."

"So you think Rosie was the one in the wrong?"

He didn’t respond.

I pointed at the door. "Get out."

"You’re impossible," Matt said coldly and left.

…

Rosie’s transfer papers were almost ready.

So, I kept her home from school and spent the days looking for a city we’d both like.

"Mom, I like Keystone. It’s warm there."

"Keystone? Are you two planning a trip?"

Matt’s voice startled me. I hadn’t even noticed him standing behind us.

I quickly put my phone away. Just as he was about to snatch it, his own phone rang.

Erica’s panicked voice came through the speaker, "Matt! Ben’s stomach started hurting after dinner! What should I do?"

Matt’s face changed instantly. He hurriedly threw on his coat and rushed to the door.

"Don’t panic, I’m coming now."

He was so flustered that he even banged his leg against the table on his way out.

When Ben got sick, Matt would drop everything in a panic. However, Rosie had a fever, and he thought she was faking it.

Matt, you’re so blatantly biased.

It seemed Rosie realized it, too. She silently climbed into bed, sulking.

Later that night, after I tucked Rosie in, I scrolled through Instagram and saw Erica’s new post.

[Having these two in my life is more than enough.]

The picture showed Matt carefully adjusting Ben’s IV drip, his expression full of concern.

Erica, wrapped in Matt’s coat, smiled sweetly at the camera.

Without thinking, I liked the post.

A second later, it disappeared.

Then, Matt called me.

"Belle, Erica was just feeling emotional and made a post. Why do you have to make such a big deal out of everything?"

I scoffed.

All I did was like the post. I hadn’t done anything remotely unreasonable.

"I don’t have time for this. By the way, Erica’s house has a leak, so they’ll be staying with us for two weeks.

"Clear out the master bedroom for them."

Before I could say a word, he hung up.

…

I let out a bitter laugh.

In the past, I would’ve stayed up all night getting the room ready.

But I was done being their free maid.

Whoever wanted to serve them could go ahead.

I cuddled Rosie, sleeping well through the night.

Early the next morning, still half-asleep, I heard a soft voice outside the door.

"Matt, will it not be too much trouble for Belle if Ben and I move in?"

"It’s fine. Belle stays home all day, anyway. She can help take care of you."

I opened the door to find Ben running wild through the room with his marbles.

When Matt spotted me, he said condescendingly, "Help Erica with her luggage. She has too much to carry on her own."

I scoffed. "That’s her problem, not mine."

This was the first time I had spoken to him so sharply. Matt froze, his brows knitting so tightly they could crush a mosquito.

"Matt, Belle doesn't seem to welcome me. Maybe it’s best I take Ben somewhere else," Erica said. Like a switch, her eyes welled up with tears.

Matt's face darkened. "Belle, I told you. There’s nothing between me and Erica. Can you be a little more open-minded?"

Open-minded.

I had lost count of how many times I’d heard that phrase.

From the moment Matt delayed our wedding to take care of Erica in the hospital, he had asked me to be open-minded.

I’ve been tolerant time and time again. When I gave birth, I even went to the hospital alone.

Matt was apparently too busy. That day was Ben’s birthday, and he had to be there for such an important moment.

An hour after he left, I went into labor.

Calls went unanswered, and messages were ignored.

I endured the pain alone, calling an ambulance myself and spending the entire night delivering Rosie.

Matt had never once spent a holiday with us, either. His excuse?

"Holidays are a time for family reunions. Erica and Ben would be too lonely."

Did he ever think about me and Rosie, though? When every house was lit up and filled with laughter, all we had was each other.

Maybe my expression showed too much of my pain because Matt hesitated, his hand reaching out to wipe my tears.

I instinctively stepped back.

He froze. This was the first time I had avoided his touch.

…

Ben got tired of playing and clung to Matt’s leg, whining, "Daddy, when are we eating? I’m hungry."

Matt didn’t answer. Instead, he instinctively looked at me.

I acted like I hadn’t heard anything, focused on dressing Rosie.

Winter came early in the north, the cold biting through to the bone.

Matt was my senior in college. To be with him, I followed him north without hesitation.

My mom had warned me, but I was young and in love.

Now, I truly regretted it.

No matter how much love I poured into him, I could never warm his cold heart. Just like how I would never get used to the freezing northern winters.

Erica pulled Ben away from Matt’s leg and scolded, "How many times do I have to tell you? Stop calling Uncle Matt, Daddy. It makes Aunt Belle upset."

Ben wailed, throwing a tantrum on the floor. His marble shot out and hit Rosie straight in the eye.

I panicked and rushed to check on her.

Erica, meanwhile, stood off to the side, saying flippantly, "Oh, it’s just kids playing around. No big deal."

Rosie’s eye reddened almost instantly.

"Relax, Ben’s not that strong. There’s no need to overreact," Erica kept rambling.

Eventually, I snapped. "Say another word, and I’ll rip your mouth apart."

Matt hadn’t even glanced at Rosie’s injury. His entire focus was on his precious Erica, who was now pouting with teary eyes.

He grabbed my wrist, his voice ice-cold. "Apologize to Erica.

"Or I’ll throw you out."

With no family in this city, I had nowhere to go besides here.

He thought I would be scared and give in. Instead, I laughed.

"Fine. Rosie and I will leave together. Then you can live happily ever after with your little family."

Matt froze. He hadn’t expected me to be so decisive.

"Belle, you can’t take it back."

His eyes locked onto mine, his hand trembling slightly.

I shook it off, scooped up Rosie, and left without hesitation.

That was my answer.

I didn’t want this anymore.